January 16, 2020
Follow Up = The Great Sales Separator
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Following up is the single best advice to help you improve your effectiveness as a salesperson.
In real estate, they say you don’t make your money at the sale of an asset, you make your money when you buy the asset. The same is true in the sales world. You don’t close deals in the room. (well, yes technically, you do, but please understand the nuance here). The real test is how you handle your business post pitch.
Anyone can stand up in front of a room of people, or make a phone call, and say what the client wants to hear. That’s the easy part. The real money is made on your follow up. The diligence, timeliness, and attention to detail you follow up with will always lead to more closes. Always.
Let’s break this down:
The EASIEST thing any salesperson can do is talk. The hard part (and what separates the good from the great) is doing all of the necessary work and putting in the hours on the back end.
Understand this: making a presentation isn’t impressive. Anyone can do that. The group you’re presenting to likely already has access to all of the information that you are sharing with them. Reading bullet points off of a slide does very little to close a sale. Usually, all that you’re trying to accomplish in these sort of meetings is show that you (and your company) are a subject matter expert and that you (and your company) have a solution that will make their lives easier.
THAT will win the people over. THAT will make you stand out from the rest of the crowd. THAT is what really matters and what is most important in the world of sales.
USER EXPERIENCE is now the single most important aspect of being a successful salesperson. You need to be taking these 4 questions into consideration during every interaction you have with clients:
People have access - the internet has granted them that. Newsflash, they can get pricing. They can get technical specifics. We even have access to expertise that we previously didn’t have (online coding and DIY modules are exploding right now, etc).
But one thing that will never be automated is USER EXPERIENCE. In 2020 - the experience you are able to offer is your edge.
Go above and beyond. It's way past what people are asking for - provide them with stuff that they NEED!
Having the ability to answers peoples questions in the room is a great start and honestly the baseline competency needed. But following up with specifics to all of their question, with links to where they can get all of the info necessary, or physical product/samples/demos is where you really can make an impact!
If you're absolutely diligent with this process - even if you don't get the sale, you're still in the game. PEOPLE REMEMBER. They remember the experience you gave them. they remember how easy you made their life. It's impossible to FORGET you. This is exactly the position you want to try to find yourself in if at all possible! You would not believe how many people say that are going to do something, then not do it.
Follow up is the single most important aspect of sales right now. Master this, and you’re going to be really good.
The most common phrase of our lives in this day in age is ‘I’m busy’! Right? How many times do you get that answer after asking being how they are and what they’ve been up to!?
The list goes on.
There are so many ways that we can be 'productive' right now. Podcasts have opened our ears to some of the best and brightest minds in any sort of profession. You can seek business advise from Bank leaders like Jamie Dimon, world-class athletes like Kevin Durant, or consume MIT quality lectures from online websites like Coursera. Most free of charge!
The technology/information age is incredible! The barriers to entry have been completely demolished. Now you can find information on anything, be connected to anyone. The opportunities are endless.
But how easy is it for us to be distracted right now? We’re able to scroll through feeds of the prettiest people on the planet on IG. With a $10 subscription, we have access to unlimited online music w/ no commercials. We can listen to every artist and genre imaginable. We can play video games against people across the world. We have a constant stream of personalized notifications attacking our phones when anything happens, from a text message to a friends workout update...
We’ve created a culture where it is far easier to consume than to create. Where it's easy to get stuck in motion, not action.
DO NOT CONFUSE MOTION WITH ACTION
The former examples above are Motion - the latter are Action. It’s important not to confuse the two.
James Clear dives deep on this in Atomic Habits:
"I refer to this as the difference between being in motion and taking action. The two ideas sound similar, but they’re not the same. When you’re in motion, you’re planning and strategizing and learning. Those are all good things, but they don’t produce a result. Action, on the other hand, is the type of behavior that will deliver an outcome. If I outline twenty ideas for articles I want to write, that’s motion. If I actually sit down and write an article, that’s action. If I search for a better diet plan and read a few books on the topic, that’s motion. If I actually eat a healthy meal, that’s action. Sometimes motion is useful, but it will never produce an outcome by itself."
There are a lot of people out there that are incredible motion people. You know who these types of people are. They are always hustling, always working on something. But there is a huge difference between action and motion people.
For me personally, I'm a hustler. For years, it's safe to say I was stuck in a motion rut. Recently I've made an effort to try and focus on ACTION, not MOTION.
For instance, the first 6 years of my career, I was doing a ton of additional motion in addition to my day job, but until recently, didn't have anything to show for it. Looking back, there is nothing wrong with motion, especially when you are young and inexperienced, like everyone in their 20s. However, there is a huge difference between bullet-points you can throw up on your Angelist resume vs. actually building something that you can point to and reference indefinitely.
This website is an example of that. Sure, I've had this same conversation with countless salespeople, clients, mentors, family, and friends, (anyone who will listen to the soapbox). But writing these thoughts down is immensely more valuable to everyone involved, including me. Not only does this force me to think clearly about an entire thought process, it gives a platform where the whole world can also be a part of the audience, not just the individual I'm talking to. Action vs Motion.
Which leads to the next point:
You'll likely find that most motion people tend to also be a bit more pessimistic and quick to critique people. This is not uncommon, as consuming is motion, creating is action.
Anyone can throw shade from the cheap seats. Most people can come up with $40 to go to a basketball game and most professional stadiums can seat tens of thousands of people. It's easy to have a personality on the internet - there tens of thousands of reputable people in that space. On the other hand, there are 494 total NBA players on planet earth. Far easier to critique than to actually be creating that brilliance on the court.
The same phenomena applies to making movies:
https://www.quora.com/About-how-many-total-man-hours-does-it-take-to-make-a-full-length-feature-film
Vs. the afternoon it takes for someone to jump on rotten tomatoes and bash it.
For the majority of the population, motion people generally are stuck in the technician's mindset. They are stuck doing minimum wage types of tasks. This can range from mowing the grass to responding to all emails yourself, to doing all of your own expense reports, etc. These are all tasks that are necessary for progress. But is it really the best use of your time?
Naval highlights problem fixing and outsourcing tasks as motion here.
Do YOU have to mow your lawn, or could you outsource that type of activity? Are you responsible for managing your customer service, or could you hire an assistant to answer those emails?
This is the type of subconscious 'HAVE TO' self-talk that keeps motion behavior going.
James Clear also addresses the motion mindset:
"That’s the biggest reason why you slip into motion rather than taking action: you want to delay failure.It’s easy to be in motion and convince yourself that you’re still making progress. You think, “I’ve got conversations going with four potential clients right now. This is good. We’re moving in the right direction.” Motion makes you feel like you’re getting things done. But really, you’re just preparing to get something done. When preparation becomes a form of procrastination, you need to change something. "
I get stuck in motion all of the time! Here were the main reasons:
You can't let these thoughts catch you in the Motion trap! You'll get stuck there and waste valuable time on this earth. Learn to recognize when you're having them, realize what you're doing, chuckle, and turn that MOTION mindset to ACTION!
Instead of thinking about strategy or spending another 6 hours on your pitch deck, LOB IT OVER to A VC. She'll be able to tell you what's good and what's a waste of your time! so much agony saved!
A great mindset for shaking the motion mindset is one of the Essentialist. Greg Mckeown wrote the book on Essentialism:
"Have you ever found yourself stretched too thin? Have you ever felt both overworked and underutilized? Have you ever found yourself majoring in minor activities? Do you ever feel busy but not productive? Like you’re always in motion, but never getting anywhere? If you answered yes to any of these, the way out is the way of the Essentialist.
The way of the Essentialist involves learning to tell the difference—learning to filter through all those options and selecting only those that are truly essential.
Essentialism is not about how to get more things done; it’s about how to get the right things done. It is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at our highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential."
Less Motion, More Action.
In closing, take a close look at how you're spending your time. Are you staying busy, but not actually making any meaningful advancements? Are you making excuses or giving reasons, while in reality just avoiding perceived 'failure'?
Stop delaying! Get over whatever mental hurdle is holding you up.
Participation trophies aren't a thing in life and business. At least not a life you want to live and a business you want to be associated with.
This post is about changing your mindset. It's about focusing on the right inputs on the front end and outputs on the back end of decision making to keep you sane and happy in the world of sales.
Let's talk about Winning and Losing from a business perspective.
Winning is hard, and glorious. Losing is devastating, but valuable.
When in competition for a new client or to close a new deal, you need to be aware of all aspects of battle going on around you.
Take a moment to process all the variables listed above. There are 31 bullet points, and this is relatively high level thinking, far more of a nuanced approach is necessary for bigger deals. **Also note - you can answers all of these questions in a resource available here: Chris Keith - Competitive Analysis spreadsheet.
This is why it's IMPOSSIBLE to win every interaction you have. There is too much going on. You're going to miss something, misjudge a scenario, underestimate an opponent. It's human. MLB players with a batting average of .333 (33%) are Hall of Fame guys!
What you can absolutely take from each and every one of these 'losing' interactions are LESSONS.
What an opportunity to be mindful! To reflect. To take ownership.
Rather than wallowing in the misery of defeat, take 5 - 10 - 60 minutes to think deeply about your scenario. Write about it. Analyze what worked and what didn't. Pat yourself on the back for smart moves, and ponder back to strategy that could have been improved.
Rather than point the finger and blame outside circumstances, look within, and take responsibility for the missteps you made.
Losing hurts - it fucking kills. But it's part of life and definitely the world of sales.
"It's not personal, Sonny, it's strictly business."
Don Corleone
And it’s true! You can’t take every interaction in a professional environment personally. It will eat you alive. (trust me - this is coming from experience)
But god damn, it's easier said than done. When I’m working on something or spending time on an opportunity - I’m all in. I get passionate about just about anything. Ask anyone who knows me, it's obnoxious. A blessing and a curse.
Having this mindset or living this way can be hard on the human psyche. It's even more difficult for salespeople, as they are subject to this type of scrutiny on a daily basis! After hearing losing news, it’s taken the wind out of many of our sails, many a time.
The issue with having this investment or passion is that when you are dealt a setback, it's extremely difficult to let it roll off. There has been blood, sweat, raised voices, late nights, early morning thoughts, pacing, phone calls, well-drafted emails, lunches, fishing trips, other projects and relationships on the back burner. It's impossible to immediately move on and walk that off.
Same is true with relationships, other competitive events (sports) and so on.
This is why it's CRITICAL to compartmentalize and tell (or trick) yourself into thinking - This hasn’t been a loss. Its been an opportunity to learn. A lesson.
This is parallel to a theory James Clear dives into about re-positioning your personal mindset in his book, Atomic Habits, specifically how to reprogram your brain:
"You don't 'have' to. You 'get' to. You get to wake up early for work. You get to make another sales call for your business. You get to cook dinner for your family. By changing one word, you shift the way you view each event.
I once heard a story about a man in a wheelchair. When asked if it was difficult being confined, he responded, "I'm not confined to my wheelchair, I'm liberated by it! If it wasn't for this wheelchair, I'd be bed-bound and never able to leave the house!""
What perspective.
Action Items:
Remember that you're not always going to win. There are too many dynamics at play in each and every scenario to always come out on top. Use the Chris Keith - Competitive Analysis sheet to help you monitor all of the dynamics at play.
No matter the outcome, be thankful for the opportunity to compete. To learn! Let it drive you to pop out of bed at 4:30 AM in the morning and send the 2 AM emails.
Competition by definition means that we are truly alive - to not compete is to die.
But make sure you learn your lessons quickly. No need to be taught the same thing twice. 🙂
